


I Can Explain

by orphan_account



Series: ficlets [12]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, POV Bucky Barnes, hbd tony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:27:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24487447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Bucky gives Tony a birthday present
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Series: ficlets [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1551151
Comments: 13
Kudos: 119





	1. Chapter 1

In his defense, Bucky consulted first.

What more, he consulted the person closest to Tony next to Jim, Miss Potts. Because Jim was out of radar on a mission and Bucky was in a rush.

He should have planned ahead. He should have learnt Tony's birthday a year before and asked Rhodey last Christmas.

But nope. It just so happened to be his luck that Bucky only found out about Tony's birthday two weeks prior and the best advice he could get was from Miss Potts.

In retrospect, maybe Miss Potts somehow found out about Bucky's little secret crush on her ex and was trying to sabotage...

Nah, she's a fairer maiden than that. What is Bucky even thinking?

"Hello?" Tony's curious call yanks him back to reality and he scrubs his face one last time before standing up.

He's not an idiot - at least, not as much as he was four hours ago when he'd dropped the package at the penthouse.

Not after Steve found out what his gift was and burst a vessel laughing his stupid ass off. Punk.

He knows what's coming the moment he opens the door... and yep.

"Is this from you?"

There it is.

He'd rather be stuck in cryo, that's how bad it is.

"I can explain,"

"Can you really?" Tony shoulders him aside to let himself in.

Luckily for Bucky, Steve's out and it's only him in their shared floor. At least that would spare him a fraction of his dignity (what's left of it).

With a deep inhale, he follows Tony inside after locking the door.

The sight of his 'gift' propped majestically in the centre of the living room couch stuns him into a brand new silence.

"He's quite handsome, I'll give you that," Tony pats his birthday present - two light slaps - before marching into the kitchen.

He scuttles around until he finds a clean glass and fills it half way up with water, "Gotta admit though, I _was_ surprised," he gulps it down, two large swallows that work his throat distractingly and he adds, "It's really not that easy to surprise me, you know?"

Something unwinds within Bucky and he breathes out a sigh, "So you like it?" He asks, chancing another dubious glance at the gift he's second guessing with all his life.

Maybe it's Tony, maybe it's the crush, or maybe it's a little bit of both and a hell-a lot of the matter of his heart. But the fact remains that he's anxious.

Afraid he might have mucked up whatever chances he'd had with Tony before anything had even started between them.

"Water?" Tony asks.

"No thanks," Bucky shakes his head, crossing his arms over his chest for the lack of things to do.

"Pretty sure it should be the other way around," Tony smirks, walking back to the couch.

Bucky watches from where he stands as Tony plops heavily beside the horrendous gift and starts channel surfing. He realizes he's fidgetting when Tony pauses to ask him about it.

"What's wrong?"

And it all come out in a single rush;

"I didn't mean to buy you a giant bunny for your birthday. I mean, I meant to gift you something you like and I wasn't sure so I asked Miss Potts and she told me you absolutely adored giant bunnies -,"

"I do adore giant bunnies."

"- so I bought the biggest one I could get and when I told Steve he said that Miss Potts probably said it in spite because you gifted her a giant bunny once, which was bigger than this scrawny stuff -,"

"Hey, don't call my bunny a stuff!"

"- and he laughed so hard he broke the coffee table. And I don't want you to think I meant this as a joke. I genuinely _believed_ you liked giant bunnies -,"

"I do really like giant bunnies."

"And I'm sorry I couldn't afford to buy you a larger - a -what?"

"What?"

Bucky opens his mouth, closes, hands flailing at his sides and he gestures shakily at the stupid bunny, "You said- Did you - Do you really like giant bunnies?"

Tony cocks his head to a side, regarding him with a childlike curiosity that rings all of Bucky's suspicious alarm bells.

"I did say that didn't I?"

Bucky blinks. Tony blinks back at him, imitating.

"Are you fucking with me right now? Cause I -,"

"You what?"

He glares at the foot tall bunny accusingly. "I can return it. Give you -,"

"Nope," Tony cuts him off loudly. The 'P' popping in his tongue as he yanks the plushie from its seat onto his lap and hugs it tight. "I've officiated it, Mr Bunny is mine and any harm invoked on him will be punishable by law."

The thing is, Bucky doesn't know if he wants to laugh at the utterly ridiculous threat or at the way Tony, a 50 years old grown adult, looks, clutching onto a human sized soft toy with the adamance of a five years old.

The only thing missing was him poking his tongue out.

"Mr Bunny huh," Bucky gives up, finally sagging in relief after hours of worrying. "I don't know bout that... It lacks the Stark-special creativity."

"Give me a break, I haven't had my coffee when I came up with it," Tony huffs, scooting over to make some space for Bucky to sit.

"No thoughts of renaming him?"

"Why, you got something better?"

-

When Steve finds them, they're fully stuffed with pizzas, garlic bread and lasagna.

Tony's head pillowed on Bucky's lap/stomach or somewhere in between while Bucky himself was slouched like a sack of potato sliding off of the couch.

Recently rechristened Mr Barney, is safely tucked under Tony's chin, pinned under a slim thigh and a tight clasp of engineer's hand sunk into its soft artificial fur.

Bucky's fingers are buried in softer, much real, curls, playing idly and Steve loathes to disturb them but Bucky was sitting on his workout hoodie and he desperately needs it.

Later, after Steve has been kicked out for 'trespassing and disturbance'. When Tony has to leave because "there are too much stuff to ignore more than I already did", he scuffs his expesive loafers on the floor and hesitates at the door with a big bunny hugged to his chest.

Bucky smiles, falters, smiles again and he can't deny the way his heart blooms and shuts and blooms all over again in its cage.

It's both absurd and marvelous, the way a little crush _(that's what you keep telling yourself but you know it's more than that)_ can do to a grown ass man.

"So um,"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for this," Tony shoves the bunny a little at his face.

"Yeah, I uh - You're welcome," Bucky stutters over the gratitude, face and neck growing rapidly warm and he blinks fast as if that could help it away.

He's too distracted by his own nervousness that he completely misses the tell tale of a kiss coming his way.

It's a peck. A quick, albeit soft, unhurried peck.

Much, much later, he'd realise it's been timed perfectly.

A well _planned_ peck to his burning cheek.

And a soft whisper of, "I like it," that sounded a fuck ton lot like "I like _you_."

Too similar that he's left gaping like a goldfish at the open door as Tony saunters his way to his workshop in that moment of distraction.

Too unfair because Bucky doesn't know what to do with himself after that until his phone pings and a message comes through and it says:

"Mr Barney would like to invite you for dinner tomorrow night"

Captioned under a photo of Mr Barney, sitting on Bucky's usual spot with a single red rose tucked under his paw.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony never really got rid of the og giant bunny and he thought it'd be high time to bring it back

“You gotta be fucking kidding me.”

Next to him, on the _floor_ , Steve is full on rolling in laughter, clutching his stomach. Once upon a time, Bucky would have rushed to him in worries because he looks near to seizing. But right now, he uses him as a stepping stool to get to the – that… _thing._

“It’s hide – ous!” Steve wheezes, starting a fresh round upon the look of pure mortification on Bucky’s face.

“Get out,” Tony kicks at him, “You’re irrelevant in this scenario, shoo!” And just for that, Bucky could kiss the man.

In fact, he kisses the man, because he can do that now. He could kiss Tony all he fucking wants and you’re damn right, Bucky will never stop. Hah!

“Do you like it?” Tony’s question throws him back into the conflicting spiral.

“Er…” Bucky trails off, stepping closer to the massive -, “Is it a… Bunny?” He takes an educated guess.

To be fair, its front stumps look like a pair of titties wagging around in the air. Bucky carefully keeps his eyes away from them.

“It’s Mr Barney’s Mrs,” Tony informs, in his no-kidding voice which makes Bucky glance at him, just to be sure.

Okay, now he’s really confused. “You’re kidding right?”

“What? You don’t think Mr Barney needs a partner?” Tony deadpans.

The fact that he’s dressed head to toe in his 9-5 gear; full on Armani or Dolce what fuck ever luxurious suit he owns – it’s three piece of delicious tier which Bucky never fails to give extra attention to when undressing the man - and they’re having a flat face discussion about a fucking toy bunny is incomprehensible.

“You’re not kidding.” Bucky exhales, his stomach sinking into a deep pit. He takes another look at the monstrosity.

This can’t be real. It’s fucking _huge._ The top of its head grazes the ceiling and it’s taking 3/4th of the living room they’re in. Even the couch and the TV had been pushed close to the walls to fit this atrocity in.

This is fucking lunatic, but still, he asks, “Where do we put it?”

It has a large bow around its neck. Big beady eyes and those two legs really look like boobs. “I guess Mr Barney would like that,” he waves weakly at them.

The giant bunny is actually made of a rather high-quality material. It’s not fur but it’s velvety to touch. Bucky realises he’s too close to it when he almost trips over its hind leg and then decides to fuck-it and simply plop on the large sausage limb.

“This is fun,” It’s only when he looks at Tony that he realises while he’s been warming up to the idea of adding another family member, Tony has been struck dumb by his reception.

“What’s wrong?” He asks, bouncing on his surprisingly comfortable seat. Okay, yeah. He really could use this. He looks around him, evaluating the space overall, “If we get rid of the couch and the table, we can fit her in with the TV. It’s a really nice lap,” he bounces more, “As long as Mr Barney is willing to share,” he smirks up at Tony.

But Tony still looks like he’s been smacked across the face and that’s worrying because Tony, not responding consecutively twice is something wrong. Bucky, hops up and out from the lap with a clean bounce and approaches his boyfriend.

“You alright?”

“ _Am I_ alright?” Tony scoffs, straightening up from where he’s been leaning against the wall. His shades come off but he keeps his head ducked while he rubs incessantly over the lens with the tip of his tie.

Bucky cups his jaw and tilts it up, “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Tony doesn’t bat his hand off, but he also refuses to meet Bucky’s eyes, keeping his gaze darting everywhere else behind him. “You’re actually okay with this?”

“With Mrs Barney?”

“Stop calling it that! It was a joke. I thought you were either going to threaten to break up with me or refuse to let me in until I discard but you’re – you – I can’t believe you’re actually fucking okay with this stupid fucking shit!”

Stunned, Bucky takes a step back. His hand slipping away from Tony. “I thought -,”

But Tony’s still not done apparently. “No. You’re supposed to say no. You weren’t supposed to encourage me. You – You just – You weren’t supposed to say okay to any of this.”

It sounds like a cry for help. So, Bucky asks with all of his heart, hammering in his chest, “What should I do now?”

And Tony yells it at his face, with utter conviction; “Stop being so _perfect_!”

For a while, Tony’s ticking wrist watch from his mother is the only thing that makes a sound.

_Five, six, seven –_

And Tony’s pulling him by his shirt for a deep, heated kiss.

“I can’t believe you’d tolerate this.”

“I’d tolerate anything for you,” Bucky fists his bazillion dollar jacket. “ _Anything_.”

“Don’t be so dumb,” Tony grins against his mouth, happy, content, in love.

Bucky beams back, pecking him once and again and he says, “But you’re my fella. Who'd I be dumb for if not for you?"

Tony blushes crimson like the roses in late spring, and he tucks his face into the curve of Bucky’s neck with his giddy giggles and trembling fingers as he clutches onto the man so gone for him, he’d turn the world inside out if it means to see him smile.

“I saw you looking,” He points out later, when they’re waving the bunny back to where it came from.

“ _Mr Barney would like that?_ ” he quotes it back to Bucky.

“They look like damned titties! Tell me I’m wrong.” Bucky protests, following Tony back into the garage as his boyfriend’s gleeful cackle echoes around them.


End file.
